Men dressed as gladiators posed for pictures with tourists in front of the Colosseum in Rome and forcibly demanded money from them

Italy, Rome / Photo EPA-EFE / RICCARDO ANTIMIANI

Police in Rome arrested three men on Saturday on suspicion of extorting money from tourists after taking pictures with them in the area around the ancient Colosseum.

Dressed as gladiators and Roman soldiers, the suspects offered tourists the opportunity to take photos with them at a famous tourist destination in Rome. Then they asked for up to 500 euros, the police said on Saturday.

The trio allegedly sometimes threatened people in order to extort money.

The Public Prosecutor's Office ordered house arrest for two of them, and one of them is still in police custody.

Several foreign tourists filed complaints between August and September this year, the police said.

An Irishman told the three suspects he had no money after taking a photo with them. Then they allegedly forced him to withdraw money from the ATM. When he returned with 200 euros, he was allegedly sent to return for an additional 50.

They asked an Italian tourist to hand over 40 euros, which he refused. The suspects then surrounded him and threatened to hurt him, eventually extorting 150 euros from him.

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